Carrie Beckmann paints flora directly from nature. Harnek’s Cacti is an example of Beckmann’s vivid depictions of the succulents that caught her eye during the many hours that she spent in Wave Hill’s Conservatory. In The Wave Hill Greenhouse Effect, the artist captures the interaction between plants and architecture and the juxtaposition between natural and built environments.

I was overwhelmed the first time I set foot in the Conservatory [at Wave Hill], knowing I was going to be able to paint there. I would move from plant to plant as I painted. The incredibly varied shapes, shine, textures and colors gave me a hugely diverse and interesting selection of things to paint. On certain days, different plants would move me, and I’d have to do a quick watercolor of a specific plant. The environment of the greenhouse and the willingness of the gardeners to let me work there was really special for me.

One day, I wanted to include the structure of the greenhouse in a painting. It was really hard not to take a photo, which would have flattened the structure for me, but I resisted and worked it out myself without the aid of a camera. It seemed very complex at first, but I was so attracted to the way the plants interacted with the architecture. I also experimented with combining plants in my paintings in ways other than how they were arranged in the Conservatory, like editing what I was looking at rather than recording things as in a photograph. I chose the plants that I was intuitively drawn to, especially for their bright color. Even when I painted the somewhat muted cacti and succulents, I found many unexpected colors.

—Carrie Beckmann

Beckmann has spent considerable time in gardens in London and Paris, where she previously lived. Recent artist residencies include Byrdcliffe in Woodstock, NY, and Ursa Major Arts in Copake, NY. Her work has been included in exhibitions at Goatshed Gallery, Brooklyn, NY; Sideshow Gallery, Brooklyn, NY; Janet Kurnatowski Gallery, Brooklyn, NY; Washington Art Association, Washington, CT; and Beardsmore Gallery, London, England. She earned a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MFA from Hunter College, City University of New York.

Share This

Upcoming Events

Support for the Visual Arts Program is provided by Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Inc., Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, New York Community Trust Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund, New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, and by the Cathy and Stephen Weinroth Commissioning Fund for the Arts.